gaming industry

Activision is taking over the Halo franchise from 343 Industries as part of a broader reorganisation of Microsoft's Xbox gaming division. The move consolidates Halo under the Call of Duty publisher, and the restructuring is reported to come alongside layoffs affecting staff across the gaming business.

A veteran video game music composer has entered a congressional race, saying a central aim of his campaign is fighting what he calls 'woke' ideology. He discussed his political run in an interview, framing his gaming industry background and opposition to progressive cultural trends as the motivation behind his bid for office.

Companies facing a lawsuit over video game addiction have been denied their bid to force the case into arbitration, meaning the claims can proceed in court. The ruling is significant for the gaming industry, as it keeps allegations that game designs foster addictive behavior in minors within the public litigation process rather than behind closed-door arbitration.

A Chicago Tribune column argues that a major gaming company is unhappy with odds being offered on video game competitions. The piece frames the dispute as part of a wider tension between traditional gambling operators and the fast-growing esports betting market, where oddsmakers and game publishers often disagree over how events should be priced and regulated.

Overwolf has introduced a media briefing offering that maps audience data across 5,000 video games, giving advertisers and media planners a way to understand and reach gaming communities at scale. The move positions the gaming platform as a bridge between in-game creators and the advertising industry, at a time when brands are increasingly looking to spend inside and around games.

The National Videogame Museum in the UK has launched a nationwide survey on game preservation, aiming to gather public input on how video games should be archived and protected for future generations. The initiative, reported by GamesIndustry.biz, invites players and industry members to share their views on safeguarding gaming history.

A retrospective looks back at the 1990s console wars between Nintendo, Sega and Sony, tracing how fierce competition over hardware, marketing and exclusive games shaped the modern video game industry. The piece argues that the rivalry of that decade drove innovation in graphics, game design and home entertainment, leaving a lasting legacy on how consoles are made and sold today.

The number of video game publishers operating in Russia is growing at an accelerating pace, according to a report from industry tracker wnhub.io. The finding points to an expanding domestic games sector, with more companies entering the publishing business despite international studios having scaled back or exited the Russian market in recent years.

Producer Carter Swan, known for his work on the Resident Evil film adaptations, is developing a movie based on The Crying Boy, a comic book series from publisher Keenspot. The project moves the horror-tinged comic to the big screen, adding another video game and comics adaptation to Swan's slate as Hollywood continues mining genre comics for film properties.